100Percent Pure

Thursday, March 17, 2016

FERIDIES Gourmet Nuts Review

In 1973, my father, Bob Riddick and his twin bother, Bill - along with their wives (Judy and Gaynelle), opened The Peanut Patch. The original concept was to have a furniture stripping business to refinish antiques. Since this required an individual to be present every day to accept furniture, it seemed only natural to have a gift shop.

The Peanut Patch old store front

They chose to house the operation in a turn of the century building on Main Street in Courtland, Virginia. They were able to find over 300 craftsmen who sold their handicrafts in the shop on consignment.

Southampton County, where the gift shop is located, was one of the world's largest peanut producing counties. At that time, one could travel through the county and not know where to purchase peanuts. They decided at that time to sell Virginia peanuts and promote them worldwide. Hence, the name - The Peanut Patch. Customers could visit this unique shop and have a variety of experiences. Visitors could journey through the upstairs antique section, browse through the pig and peanut displays, take a class in decoupage, or sit around the potbellied stove in rocking chairs eating a ham biscuit and drinking a Coca-Cola. It was and still is a business of family and friends. After a few years, we decided to cook, package and sell our own brand of Virginia type peanuts. Virginia peanuts are known for their large size and crunchy texture. Ours are cooked in pure peanut oil to ensure their healthful qualities and to maintain the peanut flavor. In 1992, The Peanut Patch became nationally recognized for its Virginia peanuts as a finalist in the International Fancy Food and Confection Show in the categories of "snack foods" and "classic." These award-winning peanuts are sold worldwide through our catalog, website, Amazon.com and other retailers.

Peanut Patch Gift Shop

In 1994, The Peanut Patch moved from downtown Courtland to Rt. 58 bypass. Aside from having a few extras such as air conditioning, this move has had a major impact on our business success. We are conveniently located between Virginia Beach, Virginia and Interstate 85 and 95 and attract travelers from all over the country. The move and a renovation of the gift shop prompted a change in our gift selection. Today, we feature specialty foods and wines, home accessories and decor, jewelry, children's items, unique gifts, Virginia made items, our own award-winning Virginia peanuts, and much more. Not only does the shop offer gifts for any ocassion, but our excellent staff can customize gift baskets.

Salted peanuts

Over the years, our super extra large gourmet Virginia type peanuts have become increasingly popular and have won several International Specialty Food Awards. Several years ago, we made the decision to rebrand our product line to better position the company for growth and to protect the company's future. The rebranding allowed us to trademark our brand name, expand our specialty food product lines and to market more effectively in the U.S. and in other countries. In order to trademark a brand name, we needed to create or manufacture a name. It was important to us that this "made up name" have special meaning. Hence, FERIDIES was developed which comprises a piece of each of our family member's last names (Alice & Paul ShafFER, Judy & Bob RIDdick, Jane & Ted FrIES). The gift shop located in Courtland, VA retains The Peanut Patch name.

FERIDIES Mill Creek Building

In 2007, we built a new manufacturing facility just a mile down the road from The Peanut Patch gift shop in Southampton County's Agri Business Park.

Here, we take pleasure in cooking, packaging and distributing the World's Best Peanuts and Other

Specialty Foods.

Our family and qualified staff are here to help you in any way. Our mission has and continues to be promoting Virginia peanuts - by selling them worldwide, by educating the public about the healthful qualities of peanuts, and by leading their promotion in the gourmet food industry. My family thanks you for your continued support and patronage. The success of the company lies in providing our customers with the best peanuts and dependable, genuine customer service. As always, we welcome your suggestions and comments. Please stop by to visit us and have a few peanuts while browsing through our unique gift shop.

FERIDIES Honey Roasted Virginia Peanuts are covered in a light honey coating, making the perfect combination of sweet and salty. It's a yummy snack for friends and family – that is - if you decide to share! OU Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified.

Cooked in pure peanut oil and flavored with the finest pepper based spices, these super, extra-large Virginia peanuts will ignite a fiery fiesta in your mouth. A must try for those who love spicy food! OU Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified.

Virginia peanuts are a type of peanut known for their large size, crunchy texture, delicious flavor and high nutritional value. FERIDIES only selects the largest 2% of the crop and gently roasts them in peanut oil and lightly salts them to ensure their distinct, rich peanut taste while maintaining the healthy qualities of an already natural snack. Being our BEST SELLER, we are excited to offer them to you in a variety of sizes and packaging. OU Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified.

These California Pistachios are gently roasted, naturally opened and lightly salted creating an irresistible and popular snack. Legend has it that lovers met beneath Pistachio trees on moonlit nights to hear the nuts crack open, a promise of good fortune. OU Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified.

FERIDIES Gourmet Nuts are amazingly wonderful! Their Gourmet Nuts taste extremely fresh and have incredible flavor. I'm seriously blown away at how incredible FERIDIES Gourmet Nuts are. I absolutely love cashews but FEREDIES cashews are amazing. The cashew flavor is absolutely perfect and the actual cashew is probably the freshest cashew I've ever had. The pistachios were fun to eat and full of flavor. FERIDIES peanuts come in a variety of flavors and have to be some of the best peanuts I've ever eaten! FERIDIES Gourmet Nuts would make a wonderful gift!

About Me

I am a stay at home mom in sunny Arizona! I have three awesome little girls and one spoiled baby boy. I'm happily married, coming up on our ten year anniversary! I love discovering new products that help make life a little easier, whether it be a new tool for the kitchen, or a new toy to keep my kids busy. I also enjoy sharing about healthy, organic, all natural or gourmet foods and products. I'll be posting reviews of my new favorite finds and hopefully they will make both mine and your life a little easier.